The Washington critic., 1887-11-18
LAMAR IN HIS srunY.


He Is at home, however, with stcn'
ographer, and he keeps from one to
three stenographers busy oil the time.
lie talks off his letters and his opinions
in the choicest of Anglo Saxon, and puts
as much emphasis into his language as
though he were speaking to the Senate.
He becomes absorbed In every piece OF
dictation he does, and while he may be
debating the quieter passages upon a
lounge, he will rise to his feet when he
comes to an important sentence and
mouth his words like the players In the
Midsummer Nights Dream" He
wears out his stenographers and type
writer's, and his private secretary puts
on lugubrlous face when Lamar shows
any sign Of being what he calls sick.
These spells occur periodically and then
visitors at the Department are told that
the Secretary is not well and that he
cannot be seen. Callers at the house
are answered In like manner, and La
mar may be away for three days at a
time. He Is, however, doing his hard.
est work, and his clerks have to labor
night and day to keep up with him.
He has little bag which he takes with
him at night when he leaves the De.
partment, and this Is filled with papers.
At his home he has no one to interrupt
him, and he talks away here for hours
at stretch. He has n wonderful ia.
cility of extracting the meat from any
matter Of Importance, and he can re.
duce an ordinary letter to two or three
sentences.
~
General Valentine Baker, whose
death was announced In yesterdays
dispatches, Is best known TO the
American public; perhaps, from his
being the central figure of celebrated
railway scandal that for some years
ruled him out of social recognition. 1t
was on the afternoon of June II, 1875,
that he left the military camp at Alder
shot for London, occupying first.class
railway compartment by himself. At
Woking Station, just as the bell was
rung to start the train on again, n
wagonette and pair dashed Into the
station yard. In 1t were Mr.. Dlckin-
son, a gentleman residing In the VI
cinity, his wife, daughter and groom.
With barely time to catch the train, the
first compartment Mr.. Dickinson
reached he opened the door OF and put
his daughter into. It happened to be
Colonel Bakers. Miss Dickinson was
known as great beauty at this time.
When the train stopped at Clapham
Junction the passengers were thrown
into great state Of excitement by the
intelligence that the door of Colonel
Bakers compartment was wide open
and the Colonel holding fast with
one hand TO Miss Dickinson,
who stood hatless upon the step
outside. A great commotlon followed.
Miss Dickinson's story was that she did
not know Colonel Baker, even by sight;
that the train had hardly left Woking
when he entered into conversation with
her; that her short replies had no
effect; but that, In spite of her GOODNESS,
his manner became more familiar and
his language improper, his offensive
actions eliminating In his STOPPING
down and grasping her by the ankles;
that thereupon she jumped up and
tried TO set the alarm In motion, but
being Intercepted by Colonel Baker and
not knowing what else to do, she sprang
TO the door, burst 1t open, and swung
herself out upon the steps, the train
going at the time at the rate of forty
miles an hour; that Colonel Baker
sprapg after her, and, unable to draw
her back into the compartment, held
her firmly from falling, as she
might otherwise have done. In reply
Colonel Baker had not word to say
except to give an absolute denial to the
whole story, or at least Miss DIckin-
sons version of 1t.
Colonel Baker was placed under ar
rest and was promptly tried for Grim
inal assault. On the trial Miss Dlckin
son repeated her tale under oath, aud
though her story was entirely uncor
roborated, II was unhesitatingly nc
cepted by the jury, who convicted tht
accused, and he was sentenced to d
years Imprisonment In Maidstone Jai
and to pay fine of t5OO. lie was
cashiered from the army, losing hi:
commission money-Jhe same being
the modest sum of $4,000. lie wa
expelled from all his clubs aud dis
graced in every way. Baker under
went his sentence like a stole, and upor
its termination left England aud Offered
his services to Turkey. Tho war o
1876 with Russia was just on, and tht
Sultan was only too glad to get such I
man. lie was made pasha and giyer
the command Of the cavalry, anC
for the next few years Valentino
Baker remained In the Sultan's service
In the summer of 1881 Colonel Bake
reappeared In London, where he wa